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The Things They Bought a Lot

At any given point in time, there are really just two ways to increase sales:

You can try to get people to buy more of what you sell,

or you can try to sell more of what people are buying.

That latter approach drives many a product launch and line extension.

In 2014, our research found three areas in which consumers appeared to be very, very interested in buying. Smart manufacturers and retailers are responding quickly.

Here are the three areas where consumers’ intent to buy was high.

Protein

Consumers have grown positively obsessed with protein. The lust for foods high in protein is driving diet trends (Paleo), product extensions (Cheerios Protein) and entirely new categories (high-end jerky).

The protein craze is so powerful, in fact, that it has moved well beyond reason and into something more emotional. For example, consumers say they want more protein in their diet, but some 71 percent of them also say they don’t know what the recommended daily amount of protein is. Complicating matters is that the 29 percent of consumers who say they do know how much protein is recommended generally overestimate the size of that recommendation.

Most interestingly to food manufacturers and retailers is that nearly half of consumers report they are buying protein-enriched foods, and are willing to pay a premium for them.

Scents

Consumers have long been interested in smelling good. Historians know that perfumes have existed since the dawn of civilization. And even commercial deodorants are getting a bit long in the tooth -- the first of them, sold under the brand name Mum, was patented in 1888.

But the desire to be as pleasing to the nose as to the eye is now spreading across demographics and products.